The Silent Casualty Of A 90 Second War
by Traw
Summary: Every war, no matter how large or small, leaves behind a trail of casualties. Some wounds are visible to the eye but some wounds that cause the most damage cannot always be so easily seen. An alternate ending to the Episode '90 Second War'.


_**90 Second War Episode Recap**-_

_Steve is set up in an airtight frame devised by Wo Fat - to divert the attention away from a rocket test that the US Government is planning to carry out and which the Chinese want to spy upon. A US scientist involved with the test is blackmailed by Wo Fat to send the Chinese the information during the test The Chinese agent's plans are found out and the CIA decides to allow the Chinese to spy but feed them inaccurate information during the test. One of the US scientist. Danny is instructed by Steve to ensure that the scientist co -operates at any cost. In the episode Danny uses his gun as a mere threat to force the man not to panic and ruin the plan but to co-operate but in my alternate ending- That threat ends up with the scientist being shot much to Danny's horror and guilt...and he now struggles with the aftermath..._

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Steve McGarrett frowned as his knocks remained unanswered. He knew Danno was home, he could hear movement within the apartment. Knocking again, he loudly called Danny's name but his behest remained ignored. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key Danny had given him to be used in cases of emergencies. He hesitated a moment turning the key over in his hand, he knew that he was probably the last person Danno wanted to see but the urge to check on Danno's state of mind outweighed any privacy wishes that Danno might have.

A pang of guilt rippled through his soul as he swallowed hard and wondered just how he could apologize. He had been celebrating the success of the mission when word had came through to the control room that Danno had been forced to shoot the scientist after Dr. Shemil had panicked and had attempted to start the black out early. Although a struggle had broken out, Danno had not been injured and the bullet wound the scientist had received was survivable. Danno had accompanied the injured man to the hospital but had left before Steve had been able to get there.

Hospital staff and the accompanying CIA agents all commented on how agitated his youngest detective appeared to be after the shooting. After talking to Shamil, Steve had discovered that the shooting was accidental, and the scientist had insisted that it was his entirely his own fault, but the young detective had seemed to blame himself. A phone call to the Palace confirmed that Danno had returned extremely upset and had left soon afterwards without talking to anyone.

Steve swallowed hard, his own guilt building, aware that Danno would indeed be blaming himself. He should have been aware of Danny's state of mind as soon as he had been informed of the shooting. Drawing a deep breath, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. He had not been there when Danno needed him most at the bunker, or at the hospital, but he was here now.

Picking up the bottle of scotch and pouring himself another large glass, Danny sighed as he heard his apartment door open behind him. He knew without turning around just who his visitor was. "What do you want?" He growled softly as he placed the bottle back down on the coffee table in front of him and lifted the glass, ignoring the fluid as it splashed over his hand.

"I was worried about you," Steve answered softly as he stepped into the dark apartment and switched on the living room light.

"I'm fine, Steve, just peachy!" Danny slurred as he lifted the glass to his mouth and swallowed the contents of the glass in one gulp.

"Sure you are!" Steve quietly observed as he gently closed the door behind him.

"I'm just wonderful!" Danny muttered to himself as he clumsily slammed the glass back down on the table and picked up the bottle, pouring himself another double shot of the fiery liquid, "Why shouldn't I be? It doesn't matter that today I shot a man who was trying to protect his daughter! But just as long as it was for national security…"

"You were doing your job!" Steve announced firmly as he walked towards the chair where Danno was slumped.

"Yeah… doing my job!" The young detective repeated as he picked up the glass of alcohol and downed the contents, grimacing as alcohol burned the back of his throat. "I followed orders … your orders … and made sure he didn't stop Wo Fat and the Chinese from seeing the experimental rocket so that our Spooks could feed the Chinese spooks wrong information"

"It was for our National Security, Danno. We did what we needed to do!" Steve reiterated.

"National Security? Yeah, we did it for national security but what we were really doing was letting them do was play their little spy games! But that's important to you, isn't it? Isn't it, Steve? Making sure the spooks can play their little games." Rising unsteadily from his seat Danny glared at his boss and closest friend as he shouted drunkenly, "You don't get it, do you? I shot an innocent man today! All he was trying to do was protect his daughter and I shot him!"

"You had no choice, Danno!" Steve answered firmly as he grabbed the younger man's arms in an attempt to steady him.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Danny yelled again as he broke free of Steve's firm grip, almost toppling over.

"I do understand." Steve whispered softly, his heart aching at the pain of obeying his orders had caused his friend as he reached again for the inebriated young man.

"I shot an innocent man…" Danny whispered brokenly as he pulled away and staggered towards the closed lanai doors.

"Danno!" Steve's one worded command was firm and absolute, causing the drunken young man to stop and turn towards him, before he continued gently, hoping Danno would listen, "The shooting was not your fault, Aikane. Dr. Shimel has already told us about how he grabbed your gun and how, during the struggle, the gun discharged. He told us that it was his fault that he was shot- not yours."

"You still don't understand, do you?" Danny swayed unsteadily as the tears ran down his face. "It doesn't matter how just he was shot, Steve, what does matter is I was the one who was holding a gun on an innocent man. I'm a cop…"

"And you were following orders." Steve reminded the younger man softly, appalled at how much guilt Danny was carrying. "You were doing your job, Danno, and sometimes that job includes carrying out orders that we don't like."

"Then maybe this job is not the job for me, Steve." Danny muttered as he stumbled and fell. "And if you don't understand then maybe we aren't meant to be…"

Rushing forward, Steve caught his inebriated friend before Danny crashed to the floor. "Maybe we should talk about this after you have slept this off and are a little more sober." Steve murmured gently as he guided Danny into the bedroom.

Easing Danny back onto the bed, Steve quickly removed the young man's shirt, belt, shoes and socks, ignoring Danno's clumsy attempts to help. "Okay, Danny," he instructed softly as he lowered Danno back into the bed, lifting the young man's legs onto the bed as Danny settled back against the pillow, "Try and get some sleep and we will talk about this in the morning."

"There's nothing to talk about!" Danny mumbled sullenly, his eyes closing against his will as he slowly begun to lose his tenuous hold on consciousness. "Just get out of here! I told you that I don't need you or your spy games…There's nothing else to talk about… not about the job...or me being a cop...or..." The words ended in a soft snore.

"We have lots to discuss, Danno!" Steve whispered as he straightened up and glanced around for a spare blanket. Finding a spare blanket in the closet, he gently spread it over the sleeping young man before sitting down on the side of the bed, placing his hand on Dan's arm as he began to speak, unable and unwilling to wait till morning. "I'm sorry Danno, I never meant for this to happen." He paused and looked out of the window. "What a way to introduce you to the world of spooks…" He croaked out around the lump that was forming in his throat making it hard to speak as he looked back towards the sleeping man. "You're a good cop - NO - a great cop, Danno, and don't you ever think otherwise!"

Steve squeezed the cool arm beneath his hand as he continued. "Today, you followed my orders even though I knew that you probably did not agree with them but you trusted me. I'm sorry, Danny, that that trust was tested and now you are carrying a guilt that does not belong to you. Shamil told me what happened and the shooting was not your fault. In fact, Aikane, he is grateful that you stopped him when you did. He says he now can look his daughter and wife in the face and know that he never betrayed them or his country.

He says he wants to talk to you- to apologize for grabbing the gun, for not trusting us." Steve halted, drawing a deep breath before he added softly, "But before he does, I think we need to talk. I have my own apologies I have to make to you. I have put you through a lot Danno, and tested your trust, and for that I'm so sorry! I don't want to lose you, my friend. Not now, not ever…" Falling silent, Steve sat watching the sleeping man for a few more minutes before rising from the side of the bed and quietly walking out of the room, leaving the door ajar in case Danno woke and needed him during the night.

He hadn't been there for Danno when he needed him at the bunker, or at the hospital, but tonight he would try and make up for that by being here even if Danno didn't want him to be here at the moment. Sitting down on the sofa, he sat watching the bedroom door as he silently prayed that tomorrow Danny could or would forgive him.


End file.
